1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic component series and more particularly to improvements in setting the distance between the lead wires of each of a plurality of parallel lead type electronic components retained by a retainer band.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic component series have been adopted into manufacturing process by many assembly makers in that automation can be advantageously realized by using an automatic machine which, while feeding the electronic component series by the retainer band and while separating the electronic components from the retainer band at a given station, feeds them to printed circuit boards.
Such electronic component series are usually produced by manufacturers of electronic components. The electronic component manufacturer has equipment for combining electronic components with a retainer band to provide an electronic component series, i.e., for taping electronic components. Such production equipment for electronic component series, in the case of handling parallel lead type electronic components, is designed to perform taping operation in accordance with the distance between the lead wires of each electronic component. Therefore, if the distance between the lead wires of each electronic component is changed, it becomes necessary to introduce new production equipment for such another electronic component series corresponding to the change.
An electronic component series takes a form, e.g., shown in FIG. 1, wherein a plurality of parallel lead type electronic components 1 are equispaced along a retainer band 2. Each electronic component 1 has an electronic component main body 3 and two lead wires 4 parallelly extending from said electronic component main body 3. The retainer tape 2 comprises, e.g., a retainer tape 5 and an adhesive tape 6 bonded to said retainer tape 5. The lead wires 4 of the electronic components are distributed in the direction of the length of the retainer band 2 so that they extend in the same direction, i.e., a direction at right angles with the direction of the length of the retainer band 2, and the adhesive tape 6 is bonded to the retainer tape 5 with the lead wires held therebetween, whereby they are positioned. With the lead wires 4 thus positioned relative to the retainer band 2, the electronic components 1 are retained by the retainer band 2. The retainer band 2 is provided with equispaced feed holes 7 for feeding the electronic component series in an automatic machine and positioning it at a predetermined position.
FIG. 1 shows an electronic component series having parallel lead type electronic components 1 with a lead wire distance F of 5.0 mm. Conventionally, the most common taping standardized lead wire distance has mostly been F=5.0 mm, and the electronic component series production equipment has been designed accordingly. However, where a demand arises in the market for a high-density package, an electronic component 1 with, e.g., F=2.5 mm, as shown in FIG. 2, becomes necessary. In this case, it becomes necessary for the electronic component manufacturer to newly introduce electronic component series production equipment corresponding thereto.
However, it is not likely that the market demand is limited to this. It should be naturally expected that a variety of dimensions for F will be required. Introduction of new production equipment each time such a demand arises would not pay and would be inefficient, and an effective means to overcome this problem is desired. Further, the equipment for retaining electronic components on a retainer band must satisfy growing needs for increasing the operating speed and the accuracy of lead wire distance, but the smaller the F, the more problems arise from the technical point of view. Thus, the efficiency of operation has heretofore been greatly decreased.